3688 - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2015)

Get your tissues ready – when local singer Joi Chua croons 掌声响起 on Track 5 of this 33 minute soundtrack album, you may be moved to tears. Chua, who plays a parking attendant to loves to sing songs by music icon Feng Fei Fei in Royston Tan’s latest feature film, takes on several of the late Taiwansongstress’s well loved tunes.

Elsewhere, there is the emotional 我是一片云, the melodramatic Hokkien tune 心肝宝贝 and the hilarious medley 敲敲门/ 巧合- 组曲a lso featuring veteran Rahimah Rahim singing in Mandarin. An original composition念is also performed affectionately by Chua later in the CD.

Getai style songs like 欢喜就好 - Summon Auntie Version and 烧肉粽 performed by Liu Ling Ling shows you can take getai out of Tan (his previous films 881 and 12 Lotus were set against the backdrop of loud getai numbers), but you can’t take getai out of the award winning filmmaker. Fans of Cantopop will also love covers of the late Anita Mui’s 将冰山劈开 and 女人花.

Another highlight of this recommended soundtrack is local hip hop artist Shigga Shay’s 打包. The two odd minute cue is perfectly executed by the 23 year old. You’ll love how he raps out a list of drinks ordered at coffee shops – check out the side splitting music video uploaded on his YouTube channel, and you may find yourself learning more about the drinks available at your friendly kopitiam. A pity though, that the other rap about the life and career of Feng featured in the film isn’t included here.

This album is an easy listen, with some earworm songs that will play on repeat mode in your head.